1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card connector, and more specifically, to a card connector of a type in which a rectangular SIM (Subscriber Identify Module) card is inserted such that the shorter side of the card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various cards with built-in integrated circuits (hereinafter referred to as “IC cards”) have been used in electronic apparatuses such as cellular phones in order to expand their functions. Such a conventional IC card is normally installed in an electronic apparatus via a card connector. The IC card connector includes a plurality of contacts configured to electrically connect the IC card to the electronic apparatus. Each of the contacts is shaped like an elongated plate. One end of the contact is fixed to the connector, and the other end is free; the contact is supported in a cantilever manner. The contacts are arranged parallel to one another. The IC card is normally inserted along the direction in which the contacts are arranged parallel to one another. Furthermore, in the case where the IC card is shaped like a rectangle in which the width is shorter than the length (such an IC card is hereinafter referred to as a rectangular IC card), the IC card is normally often inserted into the card connector such that the longer side of the IC card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion (“short side insertion”).
In recent years, the reduced sizes of electronic apparatuses have resulted in a change in the installation position of the IC card connector. This has forced the insertion orientation of the IC card to be changed from that wherein the longer side of the IC card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion to that wherein the shorter side of the IC card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion (“long side insertion”). To deal with this change in insertion orientation, an IC card connector has been proposed in which a plurality of contacts are arranged so as to incline with respect to the insertion direction of the card, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-149394.
The card connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2007-149394 is configured such that the contacts are inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the card to allow the IC card to be inserted such that either the longer or shorter side of the card may be approximately parallel to the direction of insertion. That is, the contacts are inclined with respect to the insertion direction of the card to allow the IC card to be smoothly inserted into the electronic apparatus without being caught on any of the contacts, regardless of whether the IC card is inserted with the longer or shorter side approximately parallel to the direction of insertion.
However, when the rectangular card needs to be inserted such that the shorter side of the card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion, the card may be incorrectly inserted into the card connector such that the longer side of the card is approximately parallel to the direction of insertion (see FIG. 4). When an IC card having a conventional structure is thus incorrectly inserted, the corners of the rectangular IC card may come into abutting contact with a terminal portion of a contact serving as a free end, causing the contact to become deformed or buckled.
To avoid abutting contact of a corners of the IC card with the free end of the contact, for example, the free end of the contact may be hidden inside a base board of the card connector in which the contacts are supported. In this case, the height of the contacts needs to be increased in order to ensure the required contact pressure. This is opposed to the recent trend of reducing the height of the card connector. Furthermore, the structure of the card connector, particularly of the contacts becomes more complex.
An object of the present invention is to provide a card connector of a type in which an SIM card is inserted into the card connector such that the shorter side of the card is approximately parallel to the insertion direction, the card connector allowing for a reduction in height and simple configuration, and adapted to prevent the contacts from being damaged even when the SIM card, a rectangular IC card, is incorrectly inserted.